DEAD VIDEO CARD- RMA Question from ATI

[Breezie]

I have a dead 9800 that i put a VGA Silencer on...

I want to RMA it so i put back the orginal heatsink fan...

will ATI still replace my card for me? do they check?

 

[Cerb]

I doubt they check. As long as it didn't die due to your putting the VGA silencer on, just don't tell them and don't worry about it. If it was from your modding it, you shouldn't RMA it.
Otherwise, though, go for it. ATi's support is great. BBA may cost extra, but if it fails, you get what you paid for .

 

[Breezie]

nah the silencer didnt kill it- it died at least 4 weeks after i put it on.. i think a fuse on it blew... do you think they'll replace my 9800np with a pro? hehe blah i'm still paranoid that they wont replace it >_<

 

[Cerb]

Well then it definitely wasn't your doing--nothing you do should affect the capacitors or anything else (do they really have fuses?), unless you just decided to disect it one day . Just get a RMA.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Cerb
Well then it definitely wasn't your doing--nothing you do should affect the capacitors or anything else (do they really have fuses?), unless you just decided to disect it one day . Just get a RMA.

They don't have fuses. Not that I know of, anyway.

However, you have voided your warranty by modifying the card -- yes, even just replacing the heatsink. There's no way you can *prove* that you didn't damage it, so ATI would refuse to replace it if you told them that.

I don't want to start up another lengthy discusison about the ethics of RMAing user-modified (or user-damaged) parts, but suffice it to say that ATI wouldn't RMA the card if you told them what you had done, and you are effectively 'stealing' an RMA.

 

[onza]

hmm... the above poster doesnt want a lengthy discussion.. but how could one not come when he types something like that..

he's not stealing anything, if he did pay for it...

but i'm sure you can get it RMA'd regardless as long as you replace it with orginal hsf.

 

[Cerb]

It's the same argument as RMAing a CPU when you used a AX-7 to cool it. You technically voided the warranty, but you know very well it wasn't your fault it died, and would have still died with the stock cooler.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: Cerb
It's the same argument as RMAing a CPU when you used a AX-7 to cool it. You technically voided the warranty, but you know very well it wasn't your fault it died, and would have still died with the stock cooler.

Yes, people also use Arctic Silver which voids warranty on CPU and yet will RMA it.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: onza
hmm... the above poster doesnt want a lengthy discussion.. but how could one not come when he types something like that..

he's not stealing anything, if he did pay for it...

but i'm sure you can get it RMA'd regardless as long as you replace it with orginal hsf.

Mathias is right. Unless he ran the card at speeds allowed by the stock drivers, in it's stock configuration, he voided the warranty and should have to eat this loss.

If he told ATI he put a Silencer on it when requesting the RMA, or sent it in with the Silencer on it, the warranty process would end right there.

It's ATIs warranty, not the "Guys on AT think that shouldn't have damaged the video card so it's OK to trick ATI into RMAing it" warranty.

No offense intended, but if you go through with this I hope ATI can check it somehow and deny you your claim. I'm convinced this sort of thing is a big part of why parts cost so much.

 

[Ages120]

Well I think if it was the cards fault then I think hes entitled to it but if he screwed it up himself, which it doesn't sound like then yeah I hope they deny it. Putting the VGA silencer on it probably keeps the card running longer and helps keep other components in thier case from wearing out faster and driving up prices.

I bet you have returned something once Rollo that you messed up in the first place. Say like your hard drive or pci card goes bad and you were running an overlocked system or something.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: Ages120
Well I think if it was the cards fault then I think hes entitled to it but if he screwed it up himself, which it doesn't sound like then yeah I hope they deny it. Putting the VGA silencer on it probably keeps the card running longer and helps keep other components in thier case from wearing out faster and driving up prices.

I bet you have returned something once Rollo that you messed up in the first place. Say like your hard drive or pci card goes bad and you were running an overlocked system or something.

You'd be wrong about that. I've never returned anything I've damaged to my knowledge, I don't return much period.

Here's how honest I am:
A couple years ago I was at a sporting goods store buying two items that cost $399.99 and$99.99. The clerk rang it up as $97.50. I told him he undercharged me and should do it again. He looked at the ticket, said it was right. I made him re-scan it, at which point he thanked me.

A better point would be: Even if I had a history of abusing warranties, that wouldn't make it right, it would only mean I'm a loser who steals from honest men.

 

[Ages120]

Your like the Jesus of money. Wait that doesn't make sense. Well your honest and thats commendable.